Our Trip

So mom and I are heading to PA to visit Marsha Smith. She says this is going to be fun. I'm going to get to swim, play agility, and learn some new tricks for obedience. Marsha has lots of students that have gotten their OTCHs and that's what mom and I are striving for.

I'm going to learn a whole lot and mom is excited. We're going with our good friend Margaret and her dog Roxie. I really like Roxie - she's a Chessie.

Camp Dogwood

We got the privlegde to go to Camp Dogwood for the weekend. She got to lure course and nearly lost her head! She was out of her brain for it. Spent the rest of the day trying to get it back in, but boy did she have fun. From there we went to the agility course where Kay was a bit off. She still hadn't come back from lure coursing. Then off to the lake for the final stop. This is where the bummer happened. While being a dork in the water she "broke" her tail. She had swimmers tail for the rest of the weekend. It happens...

Sunday we spent a lot of the day hanging out. I had to help with Flyball in the morning and the late afternoon, but our down time was doing just that - relaxing. We did go on a group hike that turned out to be a bit disappointing. It was supposed to be a hike and train, but little training and not so much hiking. Most people had to recall their dogs a lot, but by teaching Kay the auto-check in there was no need to. She kept running ahead and then coming back to check in. The rest of the day was spent relaxing in the heat. Being up in the camp area meant that we didn't have a bunch of people around and with an unused fire pit close by, we made the best of it. A fire going in the pit, the storm was rolling in. Yes a nice big one. We watched it roll in and then decided to retreat to the tent. Man was it a big one!!!!

Monday I took Kay down to the Rally mimi trial. It was a good course. The instructor had me go first and that I did. She was spectacular! No one wanted to follow her. Hey, we didn't volunteer. I wanted to go last for that reason, but the time gave me a chance to chat with this other lady. It was an interesting conversation. We left shortly after our Rally gig. It was a great weekend!

I wished that I would have been able to practice some of our obedience routine, but with a bum tail it was not in the cards...

not the best...

it wasn't the best morning in the world. I got it in my head to work
stands. I wasn't going to accept her taking two steps forward when
doing it either. so I thought I would a target stick - if you will -
to help keep her in positon. oh no the world is going to end! she
could no long think and that meant no stand. cue frustration.... sigh
this is where we lost it. I walked away and told her to come here, as
shes coming she decides shell stop for some breakfast on the way. oh
heck no! into the crate you go!

rules of the house are easy don't think about your food until released
to it. I make it common practice to set the bowl on the floor first
and then work. remember the no touchy rule, goes for the other dogs
too. so we tried again to work. this time I changed it up and we
worked not forging on the left portion of the figure eight. that went
better, but we'll see how much translates later on when we revisit it
this afternoon.

kay also ran like crap during agility today. she did her a frame well,
but the rest was crap. she was missing enterances to the poles,
lagging on sequences... overall poor performance. my solution... run
her brother. this usually gets her pissed, but not so much today.
bailey was vocal and wanting to work. perhaps i'll run him first next
time.

I might leave her home tomorrow.... we shall see....